Everything is packed and loaded for an early morning start tomorrow. :O)
I'll update when I can!
~d
Full moon tonight
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Whoosh!
Monday, July 6, 2009
Morons burn the Florence Filberg...
I learned some incredibly sad news yesterday... The beautiful old Miki Miki tug 'Florence Filberg' has been torched by vandals - cowards would be a better description. I've been watching her being looted and vandalized for well over a year now, the hardest thing (before the burning) for me, was the day I went out to her and discovered that someone had cut her massive brass propeller off... Like many dreamers I had thoughts of what it would take to bring her back and put her to work as a live-aboard working vessel... dreams and thoughts only...
She was a grand old lady and deserved better. It's heart-wrenching to see her corpse.
The Florence Filberg's History
The Times Colonist article
Leave the sound off...
She was a grand old lady and deserved better. It's heart-wrenching to see her corpse.
The Florence Filberg's History
The Times Colonist article
Leave the sound off...
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Cuppa Coffee and a Date Square...
Stuck here in town waiting for the slow machine of bureaucracy to say that I'm acceptable fodder for export. Passports...
I'm not even close to being organized - my house is a disaster zone - my garden is falling to the ever enveloping scourge of Morning-Glory and Blackberry. I don't much mind the Blackberries as they're fine compostables! The mat of fleshy white roots that the morning glory forms about a foot under my heavily, compost-fortified, soil however, is thick and all-encompassing.
I've spent the majority of the last year pushing myself towards my newly chosen life and the land unfortunately has suffered through my inattention. At this point in my life I'm making a decision to give up the dream of land 'ownership' and choose the much more obtainable option of land 'stewardship'. Walking away from a garden that has been the source of my inspiration, food, and peace will be the hardest thing I've ever done. This land has many happy memories. May it continue to reward others with the same gentle peace that it gave Elizabeth and myself. I realize I talk about my land as an old friend, a living thing, a sanctuary, a place of nature - it is all this and much more.
Early this morning I lie in bed, as the sun comes up, and listen to the birds awakening. Making myself a quick breakfast of a grapefruit, and unleavened bread with almond butter, I find a spot in the wild edges of the veggie patch, surrounded by dozens of species of grass, in full flower, and quietly eat.
I feel the warmth of the sun as it moves across the land - sitting motionless for hours, I watch the insects wake and start feeding. Bumble-bees working their way around the brilliant purple flowers of the flax, Yellow-jackets busily harvesting bits of wet wood to chew up and use for making their nests under the eaves of my little house, little black ants scurrying around underneath my feet in erratic patterns in search of dropped morsels.
Sparrows chirp and tussle in the pines, a Red-winged black-bird lands in my willows. I wonder if the Swallow-tail caterpillars are munching their way through the willow and fennel yet. Something to check before I leave.
It's quiet this Sunday morning, the world is either asleep or away, I close my eyes and hear only natural sounds, no traffic noise, lawnmowers, no voices murmering through the still air. I think this is what I love about my kayak - the moments when it's so quiet that I dare not splash a paddle for fear of creating a 'butterfly effect'. A slight ripple here becoming a tidal wave there. Quiet so thick it comforts like an eider-down quilt.
~Salt and Earth~
~Peace and Quiet~
...the cool fresh air of an old growth forest.
...the sweet taste of fresh Dungeness crab.
...raspberries and rich cream.
...sea-spray.
...friends.
~d
Stuck here in town waiting for the slow machine of bureaucracy to say that I'm acceptable fodder for export. Passports...
I'm not even close to being organized - my house is a disaster zone - my garden is falling to the ever enveloping scourge of Morning-Glory and Blackberry. I don't much mind the Blackberries as they're fine compostables! The mat of fleshy white roots that the morning glory forms about a foot under my heavily, compost-fortified, soil however, is thick and all-encompassing.
I've spent the majority of the last year pushing myself towards my newly chosen life and the land unfortunately has suffered through my inattention. At this point in my life I'm making a decision to give up the dream of land 'ownership' and choose the much more obtainable option of land 'stewardship'. Walking away from a garden that has been the source of my inspiration, food, and peace will be the hardest thing I've ever done. This land has many happy memories. May it continue to reward others with the same gentle peace that it gave Elizabeth and myself. I realize I talk about my land as an old friend, a living thing, a sanctuary, a place of nature - it is all this and much more.
Early this morning I lie in bed, as the sun comes up, and listen to the birds awakening. Making myself a quick breakfast of a grapefruit, and unleavened bread with almond butter, I find a spot in the wild edges of the veggie patch, surrounded by dozens of species of grass, in full flower, and quietly eat.
I feel the warmth of the sun as it moves across the land - sitting motionless for hours, I watch the insects wake and start feeding. Bumble-bees working their way around the brilliant purple flowers of the flax, Yellow-jackets busily harvesting bits of wet wood to chew up and use for making their nests under the eaves of my little house, little black ants scurrying around underneath my feet in erratic patterns in search of dropped morsels.
Sparrows chirp and tussle in the pines, a Red-winged black-bird lands in my willows. I wonder if the Swallow-tail caterpillars are munching their way through the willow and fennel yet. Something to check before I leave.
It's quiet this Sunday morning, the world is either asleep or away, I close my eyes and hear only natural sounds, no traffic noise, lawnmowers, no voices murmering through the still air. I think this is what I love about my kayak - the moments when it's so quiet that I dare not splash a paddle for fear of creating a 'butterfly effect'. A slight ripple here becoming a tidal wave there. Quiet so thick it comforts like an eider-down quilt.
~Salt and Earth~
~Peace and Quiet~
...the cool fresh air of an old growth forest.
...the sweet taste of fresh Dungeness crab.
...raspberries and rich cream.
...sea-spray.
...friends.
~d
Food For Thought
Saturday, July 4, 2009
A Historical Moment
Myers, Mark R-The Neva - watercolour
Pulled With Uncommon Strength.
The Neva Crosses Sitka Sound, 28 September 1804
'...on the 28th towards noon, we moved out of Cross Bay. The weather was so calm, that our ships were obliged to be towed till ten in the evening, when we anchored for the night, at a short distance from the old settlement of the Sitcans. The Neva could not have reached this situation, but for the united assistance of upwards of a hundred bidarkas, which, though small in size, pulled with uncommon strength.' 'This passage in Captain Yuri Lisianski's 'Voyage Around the World' was simply asking to be painted. A fleet of Russian ships being towed Gulliver-like into battle by a horde of Lilliputian kayaks makes an unusual subject to say the least.'
Pulled With Uncommon Strength.
The Neva Crosses Sitka Sound, 28 September 1804
'...on the 28th towards noon, we moved out of Cross Bay. The weather was so calm, that our ships were obliged to be towed till ten in the evening, when we anchored for the night, at a short distance from the old settlement of the Sitcans. The Neva could not have reached this situation, but for the united assistance of upwards of a hundred bidarkas, which, though small in size, pulled with uncommon strength.' 'This passage in Captain Yuri Lisianski's 'Voyage Around the World' was simply asking to be painted. A fleet of Russian ships being towed Gulliver-like into battle by a horde of Lilliputian kayaks makes an unusual subject to say the least.'
All of my Kayaking Bookmarks
Blogs
- RichardHs Blog - Adventures on the Blue
- Sea Kayak Podcasts.com
- SeaKayaking.net - Adam Bolonsky
- WCP - Chodups Blog - 3 Meter Swell
- Sea Kayak Podcasts.com
Building
- Kayaks of Greenland data
- Arctic Kayaks - Zimmerly - pdf's
- Arctic Kayaks
- Balogh Sail Designs
- Black Pearl - Björn Thomasson Design
- Boat building lumber and plywood
- Boatbuilding.com
- boatdesign boatdesign
- boatus.com BoatTECH Guides
- Build a Greenland Kayak - Instructables - DIY, How To, craft, ride
- Building Ken Taylor 1959 Kayak – the Igdlorssuit
- Building the Bear Mountain Enterprise-Project Description - Boat Specs
- Canadian Canoe Museum
- Cape Falcon Kayak
- colour testing kayaks
- Composites Manufacturing - about.com
- Customizing Your Sea Kayak Cockpit
- César's Bark Canoe by Bernard Gosselin, - NFB
- Fabrics for kayaks and bags
- Fiberglass, Resins, Nylon, Neoprene - Sweet Composites
- Fitting and use of Qoorutit - GreenlandPaddle.com
- Free Video - How To Carve a Greenland Kayak Paddle by Matt Johnson
- Gaco Western - GacoFlex H-22 Hypalon Coating
- Gaco Western - GacoFlex N-17 Neoprene Coating
- Gacoflex Hypalon® Paint
- Genuine Pine Tar 100% Organic
- Harvey Golden - Nanortalik - South Greenland
- Harvey Golden - traditional kayaks
- How to Skin a Kayak
- Howard Chapelle's 1948 Greenland kayak survey - Angmassalik
- Kayak Foundry Software
- Kayak Project Plans
- Kayak Way
- KOG Index
- Material strengths
- New Boatbuilders
- Nomad Boat Building
- Paulownia as a substitue for W.R Cedar
- PJ White Hardwoods Ltd.
- PlasticWorks - kayak building materials
- Plummer's Page
- Premapro - Coelan coatings
- Redfish Kayak Designs
- SAIL Magazine's boatworks
- Seattle Fabrics
- Sewing Polyester Fabric on a Kayak
- Taking Lines from Kayaks
- Technical Papers of Christopher Barry
- This Sailing Page
- Tom Yost - Kayak Builders Manual
- W.P. Stephens - Canoe and Boatbuilding for Amateurs
- Wolfgang Brinck Boats
- Wood weights - Wolfgang Brinck Boats
- Arctic Kayaks - Zimmerly - pdf's
Forums
- Greenland Kayaking Forum - Message Index
- Kayak Building Forum
- PDXseakayaker
- Qajaq Underground
- Qajaq USA forums
- The WoodenBoat Forum
- UK River's Guidebook
- West Coast Paddler
- Kayak Building Forum
Gear
- Bug Head Tuiliks - Tuiliqs - Akuilisaqs
- Bug Head Tuiliks
- Chill Cheater - Layering Sytems for Kayaking
- Digital Hero Camera - GoPro
- How to Shop for Your First Kayak
- Immersion Research Kayaking Gear
- Kayak Camera systems
- kayak cart - Paddleboy HEAVY LIFTER
- Landsharkz.ca - geocoins, geocaching gear and swag
- Lomo UK - Drysuits
- Making Tuiliks and Sprayskirts
- Measurements Chart for Drysuits
- MEC gearswap.com
- neoprene sheets - Aleeda Wet suits
- Nice Tulilik - Reed
- Place to buy GPS units
- Seattle Fabrics
- Survival Gear and Equipment Evaluations
- V.I.O. Action Cam
- Bug Head Tuiliks
Groups
- Sea Kayak Association of British Columbia Links
- Surfrider Foundation
- The Sea Kayaking Guides Alliance of BC
- Surfrider Foundation
Link Collections
Manufacturers
- Necky Kayaks
- about Island Kayaks
- Current Designs Kayaks - quality kayaks and information for paddle sports enthusiasts.
- Delta Kayaks
- Island Kayaks - the Qaatuar
- Loki High Performance Kayaks
- Mariner Kayaks
- MEC - Kayaks
- Nimbus kayaks
- P &H Kayaks
- Prijon Kayaks
- Rockpool Kayaks - North america
- Rockpool Kayaks
- Sea Kayaking UK - Nigel Dennis
- Seaward Kayaks
- Valley Kayaks
- about Island Kayaks
Nature
Technique
- Animated Sea Kayak Paddling School & Instruction
- Kayak Rolling Videos at KayakQuixotica.com
- Kayaking Articles by Wayne Horodowich
- Kayaking guide for all skills & ages!
- Mariner Kayaks Sea Kayak Homepage
- Mariner Kayaks Sea Kayaking Homepage
- Rolling Tutorials
- Kayak Rolling Videos at KayakQuixotica.com
Tides Navigation and Weather
- coastal British Columbia weather and sea condition links - CoastalBC.com
- Current Predictions
- Fishery Notice Reports - bivalves
- Live Ships Map - AIS - Vessel Traffic System
- Magic Seaweed - Vancouver Island
- Pacific Map of Tide Zones
- Pacifica Paddle Sports - Weather Resources
- Planisphere - National Research Council Canada
- Sidney, British Columbia
- Sitka Surfboards Forecast
- Sooke Basin, British Columbia
- Sooke, British Columbia
- Tide-Current Predictor February
- Tide-Current Predictor
- Up-Island Kayak Resources
- Wind Speed Animations
- Current Predictions
Friday, July 3, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
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